January 2017
VIDEO OF THE MONTH: 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation

When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations and that most of us don't converse very well.
Celeste Headlee

Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In this insightful talk, Celeste Headlee shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. "Go out, talk to people, listen to people, ' she says. "And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed."

Click here to view this TED Talk video.     

ARTICLE OF THE MONTH: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do
 
Mental strength isn't often reflected in what you do, it's usually seen in what you don't do.
 
In her book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," Amy Morin writes that developing mental strength is a "three-pronged approach." It's about controlling your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.
 
The following are 13 things that mentally strong people do not do, Morin says.
 
1. They don't waste time feeling sorry for themselves.
"Feeling sorry for yourself is self-destructive," Morin writes. "Indulging in self-pity hinders living a full life." It wastes time, creates negative emotions, and hurts your relationships.
The key is to "affirm the good in the world, and you will begin to appreciate what you have," she writes. The goal is to swap self-pity with gratitude.

Click here to continue this Business Insider article.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Book Review by a TLP Cohort #4 Member

Each of us has our own habits and our own perception of a situation. A habit is something we do repeatedly on a daily basis. When we are presented with a situation we are not familiar with, it creates a disruption in our habit. As Covey notes, understanding The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People creates personal change in restoring our character ethic (primary traits) and personality ethic (secondary traits). For long-term success, both are necessary.
 
 I would highly recommend this book, not just to other TLP cohorts but also to anyone who has an interest in their own personal life's challenges. This book opened my eyes by giving me insight to better realign one's physical and mental behaviors as well as attitudes to look, listen and react as part of our everyday strengths to become a more effective leader.
 
To quote Covey, "the key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."
Exciting Learning Opportunities Coming in 2017

Malcolm Knowles describes successful adult learners as those that are self-directed in their learning processes.

"Self-directed learning is when individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes." (Knowles, 1975, p. 18).

During 2017, we will provide you with many opportunities to learn important leadership skills. How you will grow from this new information and transfer it to your day to day practice is where you will demonstrate what kind of a self-directed learner you are.

Keep an eye out for our training calendar with topics, dates and locations. The training team is in the process of finalizing all of the details. A few important tips:

1. If you have missed modules and need to make them up in order to complete the program, pay close attention to the schedule and register as soon as possible so we can make sure you get what you need.
 
2. If you are unsure of what you still need, please contact Mary McCarthy and she can provide you with a summary.
 
3. If you are a TLP Alumni, you are most welcome to register for TLP elective trainings that are of interest to you. As an alumni, you are eligible to take any of those, as space is available.
 
Looking forward to working with you throughout the year
Best,
 Donna Shea
TLP Cohort #5 - Applications Being Accepted
 
 Do you know anyone who would be a good candidate for the Transportation Leadership Program? Please let them know that applications are being accepted for Cohort #5 until March 1, 2017.  
 
Here is the link to the application and program overview.  Don't hesitate to contact Donna Shea if you have any questions or would like to discuss potential candidates.
 
"I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers." - Ralph Nader

"Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders."
- Tom Peters

The new 2017 T2 Training Calendar is now available!

Click here to view training opportunities available in 2017 
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